Game



Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES GAME George S. Parker, Peterboro, N. H., assignor to Parker Brothers, Inc., Salem, Masa, a. corporation of Maine Application May 14, 1938, Serial No. 208,026

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a boardgame appa- 1 ratus, and its principal objects are to provide a game of skill adapted to be played by two or more individual competitors or by competing 5 pairs, each player or pair seeking to reach a definite objective by a series of moves which involve foresight, skill, and the nature of the opponents position and movements.

Further objects will be apparent from a con- W sideration of the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the playing board and playingpieces shown in theposltion for commencement of the play;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the playing board;

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of one of the playing pieces;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section illustrating a 19 playing apparatus of modified construction; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating another modification.

In accordance with the present invention the playing board comprises a plurality of spaced 8 areas defining starting and finishing zones for the respective players, the starting zones being disposed at locations remote from the finishing zones, and between these zones there are provided spaced areas defining a plurality of safety zones and combat zones,- the arrangement being such that a greater or lesser area of the combat zones, depending upon the direction of movement, must be traversed in moving from the starting zones to the finishing zones. The safety and combat zones comprise a plurality of spaces which define the units of movement and between these spaces there are lines extending lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally of the playing board to define different directions of movement.

Each player (or group of players) is provided with a. set of playing pieces which, at the start of the play, are placed ,on' appropriately marked spaces within the starting zones. During the course of play each player in turn moves one of a his playing pieces in a direction calculated to insure the safest and/or most expeditious travel toward his goal or finishing zone, the objective being to move a prescribed number of playing pieces from the starting zone into the player's finishing zone or goal. A player is allowed but a single simple move, unless he is able to leap over one of his own playing pieces or that of an opponent, in which case he may make as many leap moves as may be open to him, provided that his a movement is along oneof the established lines 01 movement.

When any playing piece is moved into the combat zone it becomes vulnerable, in that it may he jumped by an opposing player and removed from the board, but so long as it remains in any of the safety zones it may be jumped without being lost. As it is preferable to lay out the various zones so that the shortest distance between the starting and finishing zones passes 10 through or across the greatest width of the combat zone, the player who desires to avail himself of the shortest route necessarilyencounters a greatly increased risk of losing his playing piece. Hence, the safest or best route is not necessarily-l5 the shortest, and sincea move by any player is apt to vary or frustrate the plan of play, each player is continually confronted with a changing situation which he must cope with as best he can. As soon as any player has safely moved the prescribed number of his playing pieces into his finishing zone or goal he is adjudged the winner.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment shown therein comprises a playing board, designated by-the numeral i, which is set into a tray or holder 2 and supported at a convenient level below the upper edge of the tray by a plurality of blocks 3. The playing board I is marked off by lines 5, 6, 1 and 8 to define a substantially octagonal shaped field of play, the lines 5, 6, l and 8 constituting alternate sides of the playing field. The central part of the playing field is marked off to define a combat zone iii having four spaced radial arms Ill iil iii and Ill 86 extending from the'central combat zone l0 outwardly substantially at right angles to the lines 5, 6, I and '8, respectively.

Between the ends of lines 5, 6, i and 8 (at positions corresponding to the other four lines which 40 make up the octagonal-shaped playing field) there are-provided elongate substantially rectangular shaped areas I5, i6, i1 and I8 which define starting andfinishing zones, it being understood that the starting zone for one player may be the finishing zone for an opponent.- For ex ample, the zone I5 may be a starting zone for the player whose finishing zone or goal is the area l1, and vice versa. Adjoining the zones l5 to l8 are safety zones 2|, 22, 23 and 24 which are separated from each other by the radial arms Hie, to ill of the combat zone It, the different zones preferably being set oil in contrasting colors. As here shown by way of illustration, the combat zone, including its arms, is colored white, and the safety zones 2| to 24 and their adjoining starting or finishing zones it to l8, are colored red, green, yellow and blue, respectively.

The entire playing field is marked of! to define equidistant spaces or circles 30, which are inter connected with each other by lines 3| 32 and 33 extending lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally of the playing field. These spaces or circles define the units of movement for the playing pieces and the lines 30 to 33 define the direction of movement open to the player. Although the circles 30 may be colored approximately (here shown as being white), it is desirable, in order to check up a player's move, particularly a jump move, that alternate circles disposed along the lines 3| and 32 be of a different shade than the other circles.

Each playing piece may consist of a cylindrical element 35 having a reduced end portion constituting an anchoring peg 36 (Figs. 2 and 5), in which case each of the circles 30 is provided with a concentric opening or hole (Figs. 1 and 2) adapted to receive an anchoring peg 36, but if desired the circles 30 may be in the form of depressions 40 formed in the playing board I and adapted to receive playing pieces in the form of balls 4|, as shown in Fig. 4, or the playing board may comprise a plane surface marked off to define circles or spaces to receive playing pieces 46, as shown in Fig. 5. Each set of playing pieces, here shown as I! in number, is colored to correspond with one of the starting zones, each of which is provided with the same number of circles or spaces 30 as there are playing pieces in the set.

To commence the game each player places his playing pieces 35 in position within his startin zone and moves in turn along one of the lines 3|, 32 or 33 in an endeavor to be the first to move the prescribed number of playing pieces (three for example) into his finishing zone or goal. Although this objective may be accomplished in accordancewith any prescribed rules, the following is suggestive of a preferred procedure.

Each players force consists of twelve pieces of the same color which, at the beginning of the game, are placed in the two rows within the areaconstituting a starting zone. There are two types of moves open to the player, viz., a plain move and a jump move, the former consisting of a move of one space in any direction, forwardly, backwardly, sidewise or diagonally, to any adjacent unoccupied circle. when possible a player may make a jump move in any direction over anyother piece that is on any adjacent circle, provided there be an unoccupied circle immediately behind the piece which is jumped and in a direct line along which a jump can be made. The same piece can continue. as a part of the same move, to jump over as many pieces (at one time) as its position makes possible, varying the direction of the move .at each jump if necessary. Pieces may be jumped over an opponents piece as well as over those of the same color, but a player is never obliged to jump. Should any player jump an opponent's playing piece when it is within the combat zone, such player may remove the opponents playing piece from the board. A player may never remove his own piece from the board when he jumps over it, irrespective of whether his own piece be within the combat zone or elsewhere. So long as a playing piece is within any of the safety zones it can not be taken or removed by any other piece, even though it be jumped over. As it is impossible for a piece upon a circle of one shade accurately to jump over a piece and land upon a circle of another shade, careless jumping may be readily detected.

If all players lose ten or more men or playing pieces before one player has succeeded in moving three of his pieces into the finishing zone or goal, the game is a draw. If only two players are playing and one loses ten or more men before the other player has won, this other player automatically wins when he has succeeded in moving three of his men into the safety zone adjoining his finishing zone.

It will be noted that in a game apparatus constructed in accordance with or embodying the preferred arrangement herein shown, the entire playing field comprises a large number of circles or playing spaces connected by lines extending lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally of the entire field, and that immediately outside the actual field of play are the starting and finishing zones which also include spaces similarly connected with each other and with those spaces in the field of play. Moreover, the main combat zone is centrally located and of considerable size and is directly connected with branching arms providing combat zones each of lesser area than the main or central combat zones, these zones separating the safety zones from each other and also separating the staring and finishing zones. Since it is the object of each player to cross the playing field so as to reach his goal at the opposite side of the field, travel through the central combat zone is the quickest and most tempting method of accomplishing the crossing. However, by avoiding the central combat zone a player's route to his goal is made longer and usually requires a greater number of moves, but the element of safety is greater on account of the narrowness of the radial arms of the combat zones.

It will be further noted that in playing the game according to the preferred procedure, the players are at liberty to leap or jump over the playing pieces of his partner or his opponent or his own playing pieces, regardless of the position of such playing pieces. An opponent's playing piece, if in. any of the combat zones, may be jumped over and removed from the board, but an opponent's playing piece may not be so removedif positioned in any of the other zones. Since a playing piece may be moved forwardly, backwardly, sidewise and diagonally, into and out of the different zones, an infinite number of moves are open to the players, and hence a player may change or vary his tactics at any time when circumstances so require or make it advisable.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing board adapted for usein conjunction with a plurality of playing pieces for each player, said board comprising a plurality of spaced areas defining starting zones and finishing zones for the respective players, the starting zones being disposed at locations remote from the finishing zones, a plurality of spaced areas defining safety zones adjoining said starting and finishing zones, a central area and a plurality of adjoining areas defining combat zones separating each of the safety zones, and lying between the starting and finishing zones, and means defining lines of movement for said playing pieces, said lines of movement extending lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally from said starting zones through said combat and safety zones to said finishing zones.

2. A game apparatus comprising a playing board adapted for use in conjunction with a plurality of playing pieces for each player, each playing piece being formed with a reduced end portion, said playing board comprising a sub= stantially octagonal-shaped field of play having a central area provided with four radial armsextending at right angles to each other from the central area to alternate sides of the field of. play, said central area and radial arms defining combat zones, starting and finishing zones adjoining the other sidesof the field of play, the finishing zones being d onally opposite the starting zones, and safety zones between the combat zones and the finishing and starting zones, each safety zone being separated from the adjacent safety zones by a combat zone, all of said zones being marked off into equidistant spaces connected by lines which extend lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally of the playing field and defining different directions of movement through the zones. the spaces within the combat and safety zones being perforated to receive the reduced ends of said playing pieces.

4 GEORGE 8. PARKER.- 

